Table of Contents
Preface xi
1 Categorical Analysis 1
Bar Charts: Banco de Tableau Case Study 3
Strategy: Build a Bar Chart in Tableau 4
Strategy: Create a Top N Bar Chart 5
Strategy: Dynamically Group Other Dimensions 7
Strategy: Enhance Your Bar Chart with Color 8
Strategy: Left-align Text 9
Strategy: Create Bars with Labels on Top 10
Strategy: Create a Percent-of-Maximum Bar Chart 12
Bar-on-Bar Charts: Amplify Performance Case Study 13
Strategy: Create a Bar-on-Bar Chart 15
Treemaps: Amplify Performance Case Study 20
Strategy: Create a Basic Treemap 21
Strategy: Create Drillable Treemaps 22
Strategy: Encode a Continuous Measure with Color 23
Pie and Donut Charts: IT Employee Wellness Project Case Study 25
Strategy: Build a Basic Pie Chart 25
Strategy: Build a Donut Chart 26
Strategy: Create Small Multiples 28
Conclusion 28
2 Quantitative Analysis 31
Histograms: Office Essentials Case Study 32
Strategy: Make a Simple Histogram of Purchasing Behavior 33
Strategy: Create a Histogram with a Continuous Bin 37
Strategy: Use LOD Expressions in Histograms 38
Dot Plots and Jitterplots: Office Essentials Case Study 41
Strategy: Create a Basic Dot Plot 41
Strategy: Create a Jitterplot 42
Ranged Dot Plots: Office Essentials Case Study 44
Strategy: Create a Ranged Dot Plot 45
Strategy: Use Median and Leveraged Percentiles 47
Box Plots: Spear-Tukey Shipping Case Study 48
Strategy: Create a Basic Box Plot 50
Strategy: Combine a Box Plot and Histogram 54
Line Charts: Office Essentials Case Study 55
Strategy: Build a Line Chart 56
Strategy: Add Reference Distributions to a Line Chart 57
Strategy: Add a Standard Deviation to a Line Chart 59
Strategy: Use Reference Distributions as an Alerting Tactic 61
Calculated Dimensions Based on Statistics: Banco de Tableau Case Study 62
Strategy: Assign a Summary Statistical Value to Data Points 63
Pareto Charts: Amplify Performance (AP) Case Study 64
Strategy: Use Pareto Charts to Show Categorical Data 65
Conclusion 68
3 Making Comparisons 71
Bar Charts and Alternatives: Amplify Performance Case Study 72
Strategy: Compare with a Basic Bar Chart 73
Strategy: Convert a Vertical Bar Chart to Horizontal 74
Strategy: Create a Lollipop Chart 76
Strategy: Create a Basic Cleveland Dot Plot 81
Bar Charts for Rank Changes: AP Case Study 86
Strategy: Show Rank and Change of Rank on a Bar Chart 86
Bump Charts for Rank Changes over Multiple Periods: AP Case Study 96
Strategy: Make a Bump Chart 98
Barbell Plots for Hierarchical Data: Office Essentials Case Study 105
Strategy: Build a Barbell Plot 109
Trellis Charts/Small Multiples: Office Essentials Case Study 113
Strategy: Create a Trellis Chart for a Single Dimension 116
Parallel Coordinates Plots for Multiple Measures: OE Case Study 126
Strategy: Build a Parallel Coordinates Chart 128
Conclusion 137
4 Working with Time 139
Understanding Dates and Time 141
Date Parts and Date Values 142
Date Calculations 142
Date Hierarchies and Custom Dates 143
Discrete Versus Continuous Dates 144
Call Frequency: Chips and Bolts Call Center Case Study 146
Strategy: Determine Total Call Time by Hour 147
Strategy: Create a Plot to Measure Total Call Time by Minute 148
Strategy: Create a Continuous Datetime Axis by the Second 150
Strategy: Create a Continuous Datetime Axis for 15-Second Intervals 151
Strategy: Create a Continuous Datetime Axis for 15-Minute Intervals 152
Heatmaps (Highlight Tables) 154
Strategy: Build an Essential Heatmap 154
Strategy: Create a More Detailed Heatmap 155
Comparing Values Year-to-Date: CaB Call Center Case Study 157
Strategy: Show Progress to the Total by Using Two Bar Charts 159
Strategy: Compare Similar Periods on a Line Chart 161
Automated Reports 163
Automating Reports for Month-over-Month and Year-over-Year Change: CaB Call Center Case Study 163
Strategy: Automated Rolling Table 164
Nonstandard Calendars 167
Strategy: Build a Monthly Bar Chart with a June 1 Fiscal Year Start 169
Visualizing the 4-5-4 Calendar: Office Essentials Case Study 170
Strategy: Build a Bar Chart Using the 4-5-4 Retail Calendar 171
Conclusion 175
5 Key Performance Indicators 177
Displaying KPIs 179
Displaying KPIs: Office Essentials Case Study 180
Strategy: Designing Clear KPIs 181
Strategy: Create Single-Sheet KPIs 183
Strategy: Automate Your KPIs 184
Strategy: Create Year-over-Year Calculations 187
Sparklines 190
Sparklines: Office Essentials Case Study 190
Strategy: Create Sparklines 190
Strategy: Create Year-to-Date Sparklines 193
Strategy: Create Rolling 24-Month Sparklines 194
Strategy: Build Delta Spark Bars 195
Strategy: Progress to Target 196
Multiple KPIs as a Scorecard 199
KPI Scorecard: Office Essentials Case Study 199
Strategy: Create Aggregate KPIs 201
Tracking Daily Changes: Office Essentials Case Study 203
Strategy: Create Month-to-Date Sparklines 204
Strategy: Create Month-to-Date KPIs 209
Strategy: Combine KPI Visualizations in a Dashboard 211
Conclusion 212
6 Building Impactful Tables 215
Building Great Tables 216
Ensure a Clear Purpose for Your Table 218
Format Your Table to Maximize Readability 218
Using Color in Tables: Office Essentials Case Study 219
Strategy: Create a Table Using Limited Color 219
Strategy: Encode Color with Dots 226
Moving Beyond Measure Names and Values: Office Essentials Case Study 230
Strategy: Create a Table Body Without Measure Names or Measure Values 232
Strategy: Create Table Headers Without Measure Names or Measure Values 238
Strategy: Use Measures as Headers 240
Problem-Solving with Subsets and Hiding the Dreaded Abc: Office Essentials Case Study 250
Strategy: Show the Top Products Within Sub-Categories 251
Strategy: Hide the Abc 257
Conclusion 258
7 Working with Geospatial Data 261
Choropleth (Filled) Maps 262
Displaying Customer Penetration with Choropleth Maps: Office Essentials Case Study 263
Strategy: Create a Simple Choropleth Map 263
Strategy: Normalize a Choropleth Map 264
Strategy: Add a Custom Color Palette 266
Strategy: Make a Decile Choropleth Map 268
Symbol Maps 270
Using Symbol Maps to Show Profitability and Channel Distribution: OE Case Study 270
Strategy: Create a Symbol Map 271
Strategy: Create a Map with Donut Charts 273
Tile Maps (Cartograms) 274
Showing Education Level with a Tile Map: Aloft Educational Services Case Study 274
Strategy: Build a Square Tile Map 275
Strategy: Compare Parts Against the Whole with a Tile Map 277
Built-in Features and Functions 279
Using Built-in Features and Functions with Marketing Data: Sage Digital Marketing Case Study 279
Strategy: Build Custom Polygons Using Groups 279
Strategy: Build Custom Polygons Using Underlying Geographic Data 283
Strategy: Use the Distance Function to Show Zip Codes' Distance from a Central Location 284
Strategy: Use the Buffer Function to Map a Trade Area Using Radial Distance 286
Strategy: Create Paths Between a Starting Point and Destinations with MakePoint and MakeLine 288
Conclusion 289
8 Advanced Mathematical Concepts 291
Forecasting 292
Using Forecasting to Predict Staffing Needs: CaB Call Center Case Study 293
Strategy: Create a Monthly Forecast 293
Relationships Between Two Numerical Values 297
Using Scatter Plots to See Relationships Between Spend and Conversions: Sage Digital Marketing Case Study 299
Strategy: Create a Scatter Plot 299
Strategy: Create a Quadrant Chart 300
Strategy: Add a Trend Line to a Scatter Plot 305
Cluster Analysis 308
Creating Segmentation Among Employees to Assess Differences in Attrition: Banco de Tableau Case Study 309
Strategy: Add Cluster Analysis to a Scatter Plot and Use Analysis in Another Chart 309
Alternative Axis and Many Multiples 313
Tracking Positive Cases of Covid-19 Globally: Logistics Case Study 314
Strategy: Use a Logarithmic Axis to Understand Rate of Change 314
Strategy: Normalize a Date Axis 316
Strategy: Create a Trellis Chart 318
Advanced Modeling Using Statistical Add-Ons 321
Using Python Analytics Extension for Web Page A/B Testing: Squeaks Pet Supply Case Study 323
Sentiment Analysis on Customer Reviews: Amazing Products Case Study 327
Conclusion 329
9 Constructing Dynamic Analyses 331
Parameters 332
Using Parameters to Change Measures and Dimensions: Office Essentials Case Study 332
Strategy: Use a Parameter to Change a Measure in a Bar Chart 333
Strategy: Use Regex Functions to Dynamically Format a Parameterized Metric 335
Strategy: Use a Parameter to Change the Dimension in a Bar Chart 336
Using Parameters to Set Time Periods and Date Aggregations in Line Charts: Office Essentials Case Study 337
Strategy: Use a Parameter to Change the Date in a Line Chart 338
Strategy: Add Hidden Date Filters to Prevent Truncated Time Parts 339
Using Parameter Actions to Change Trended Metrics: Sage Digital Marketing Case Study 341
Strategy: Change a Metric Dynamically Using Parameter Actions and Measure Names 341
Using Parameter Actions to View Daily and 7-Day Average Value: Sage Digital Marketing Case Study 344
Strategy: Compute a 7-Day Moving Average Reference Line That Dynamically Changes with a Date Selection 345
Sets and Set Actions 346
Using Set Actions to Drill Down and Filter Data: Digital Marketing Case Study 347
Strategy: Drill from Week to Date in a Line Chart 348
Strategy: Expand a Section of a Data Table 350
Animation 352
Competitor Analysis Study: Using Animations to Compare Ranking Performance 352
Strategy: Build an Animated Bump Chart 353
Strategy: Create a Racing Bar Chart 355
Conclusion 357
10 Advanced Data Modeling 359
Data Modeling 360
Strategy: Create a Calendar with Data Densification 362
Strategy: Create Rounded Bar Charts 367
Strategy: Create an Accordion Table 375
Strategy; Create a Sales Funnel 382
Market Basket Analysis 391
Strategy: Basket Analysis 393
Strategy: Build a Multidimension Waterfall 401
Strategy: Layer Marks with Maps Without Making a Map 413
Conclusion 424
Further Reading 424
11 Advanced Interactivity 425
Sheet Swapping with Parameters and Parameter Actions: Superstore Case Study 426
Strategy: Use Parameter-Based Sheet Swapping 428
Strategy: Use a Parameter-Action Sheet Swap 432
Strategy: Automatically Deselect Marks 437
Using Parameters and Parameter Actions to Create Multiple Select Parameters: Superstore Case Study 439
Strategy: Create a Multiple-Select Parameter 440
Swapping Metrics Using Parameter Actions: Office Essentials Case Study 447
Strategy: Use Sheets as Buttons 448
Adding Pagination to Tables with Parameters, Parameter Actions: Superstore Case Study 455
Strategy: Add Table Pagination 457
Creating Dynamic, Single-Click Drill-Throughs: Superstore Case Study 472
Strategy: Build Drill-Through Interactivity 473
Conclusion 478
Further Reading 479
12 Building Dashboards and Data Products 481
Dashboard Design 482
Know Your Audience 482
Dashboard Types 484
Mobile Dashboard Design 489
Design Details 490
Strategy: Display Different Visuals for Desktop and Mobile 495
Accessibility 500
Dyslexia 500
Color and Visual Impairment 514
Formatting Consistency 519
Rounding Numbers 519
Axes Versus Labels 520
Font Styling 523
Conclusion 524
13 The Broader Tableau Ecosystem 527
Data Preparation: Where and When 527
Spreadsheets: Microsoft Excel 528
Traditional Data Preparation: SQL 529
Modern Data Preparation: ELT Tools 531
Review 532
Building a Thriving Analytics Platform 532
Future Trends 535
Data Journalism and the Rise of Data Storytelling 536
Analytics Within Human Workflows 536
Analytics as a Product 537
Conclusion 538
14 Industry Frameworks 539
Healthcare 540
Education 541
Elementary, Middle, and High School 542
College and University 542
Logistics 543
Marketing 543
Sales 544
Retail 545
Finance 545
Conclusion 546
Index 547
